Born in Italy she began her studies at the age of six and graduated with highest honours at the "Luigi Cherubini" Conservatory in Florence. She participated in numerous National and International competitions, winning first prizes in the "Franz Liszt" competition in Lucca, the "Rome '89" competition, the "Scriabin" competition and the "Sulmona" contest (1993). She has won first prizes in the International Contest in "Stresa" (Italy) with clarinettist Carlo Failli, as well as in "Kingsville" (USA) with clarinettist Ilya Shterenberg.
Francesca Cardone participated at courses at the prestigious "Salzurg Mozarteum" in Austria and the "Chigiana Academy" in Italy where she got a diploma with honour. She has attended classes of such distiguished artists as Murray Perahia, Alexander Lonquich, Paul Badura-Skoda, Michael Wladkowski and Marcella Crudeli.
From '91 to '95 she studied at the "Southern Methodist University" of Dallas with Prof. Joaquin Achucarro obtaining the "Artist Certificate Diploma" in 1993, followed by the "Master of Music" diploma in May 1995. In the Spring of the same year, she has been elected a member of the Society of Pi Kappa Lambda of Dallas, whose members are outstanding teachers and students of various disciplines.
In 2015 she has been selected to become a Legacy Pianist of the Joaquin Achucarro Foundation, to which belong the most successful and representative students of the famous pianists.
In addition she holds diplomas in solo piano performance and chamber music from the prestigious "Santa Cecilia Academy" in Rome, where she studied with Prof. Sergio Perticaroli and Prof. Felix Ayo. She also holds diplomas in music pedagogy (1998 and 1999) from the "Donna Olimpia School" in Rome. During the academic year 1999-2000 she has taken part in the production of academic works for the University of Westminster – London.
She has worked as instrumental and vocal accompanist for academic and artistic Austrian institutions such as the Salzburg Festival and the Musikum, the University of Miami (summer master-classes), as well as for opera-singer Grace Bumbry’s vocal studio in Salzburg.
As a performer, she plays not only as a soloist but also in chamber music ensembles and orchestras. She concertizes in Italy, where she has already performed for important music associations such as the "A. Casagrande" society, the "Barattelli" society, the "Sala Casella" at the "Roman Philharmonic Academy", the A.R.A.M. (Associazione Romana Amici della Musica), the "Auditorium Santa Cecilia", the E.P.T.A. (European Piano Teachers' Association), the "Marrucino Theatre" in Chieti and the Fenaroli Music Society, and abroad where she has performed in Austria, France, Spain, England, Japan and the United States.
She has participated in the prestigious "Festival delle Nazioni" of Città di Castello (Italy), obtaining great success from both the public and the critics. Winner of the A.R.A.M. selection for concerts abroad, she went on a tour to Germany and Poland in 1998 and got reinvited the following year. Among these concerts, she played at the "F. Chopin Museum" in Warsaw, sponsorized by the famous F. Chopin Academy of the same city. Recently she has performed at the prestigious Salzburg Festival for a Christmas event as well as at the Palazzo Ducale in Mantua (Italy) where she gave a chamber music concert with Mr Florian Zwiauer and Mr Herbert Müller, respectively first violin and first viola of the „Wiener Symphoniker“ orchestra and with Ms. Gabriele Sima, singer at the Wiener Staatsoper as well as with members of the Wiener Philharmoniker and Volksoper Orchestras.
She recorded various CD productions. The last one concerns a mix of literature and music, in collaboration with actors Isabel Karajan and Peter Simonischek.
Mrs. Cardone has been teaching at the “Pädagogische Hochschule“, Salzburg from 2010 until 2015 and is currently teaching at the „Dante Alighieri Society“ in Salzburg (Austria).
www.francescacardone.com
